New Banksy Video Shows Girl With Balloon Was Meant To Be Fully Shredded

Banksy is known for unpredictable behavior. The reclusive artist makes a splash when people least expect it, opting to provide either biting social commentary or satirical works of criticism (or, typically, both) about the commercialization and commerce of art and works of personal expression. It was during Banksy's recent viral stunt -- which saw the artist tearing Girl with Balloon to shreds after it sold for a high price -- that the artist was the one left surprised. As a new video proves, the expensive painting was meant to be shredded entirely, but it only went halfway through due to a glitch.

As Banksy admits in the new video, the much-publicized art gallery stunt didn't exactly go according to plan. When the painting didn't make its way through the shredder completely, there were viewers left wondering whether or not that was intentional. You can never know with Banksy, after all...

But with this newest update on the viral stunt, Banksy makes it very clear that the shredding process was intended to make the whole painting turn into bits of confetti, as the mysterious artist notes, "in rehearsals it worked every time..." Alas, due to one problem or another, the auction antics didn't go as excepted for Banksy. Granted, it was still a complete surprise for everyone in attendance at the event, as is made evident by all the stunned faces in the clip.

It's rare for Banksy to be the one who doesn't see things turn out as expected. Alas, it doesn't sound like the artist is completely disappointed with how the stunt turned out. The intended effect was garnered, it's safe to say. The notoriously guarded artist wanted to show fans what was actually supposed to happen during the now-infamous auction shakedown, providing answers as to what was supposed to go down during this public event.

Created and released in 2002, Girl with Balloon, which is also known as Balloon Girl and Girl and Balloon, is one of Banksy's most recognizable works. It depicts a young girl reaching outwards toward a red balloon in the shape of a giant heart. It is a logo that has been seen throughout London for years. Over the years, Banksy has used this design for a multitude of different reasons. Most notably, the artist used the design to promote social causes, including the West Bank barrier in 2005, the Syrian refugee crisis in 2014 and 2017's election in the United Kingdom. It is widely considered one of the most famous artworks in London history, let alone by the reclusive artist. By destroying the popular work, Banksy drew quite a lot of media attention.

With the publicity stunt didn't really go according to plan, there's no denying that Banksy is the center of attention again by publicly destroying Girl with Balloon -- if even slightly. Meanwhile, we'll continue to keep you posted on all the latest news updates and more right here at CinemaBlend.